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Welp, Everything Just Changed: Davis Headed to the Lakers for 3 First Rounders, Ball, Ingram, Hart

Pelicans star Anthony Davis is reportedly headed to the Lakers for a monster haul, including a number of the pieces bandied about in possible three-team deals that plausibly could have included the Bulls.

The Pelicans have agreed to a deal to trade Anthony Davis to the Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks – including the No. 4 overall in 2019 Draft, league sources tell ESPN.

The Lakers have shipped off what was supposed to be their young core, highlighted by Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart. But interestingly enough, the Lakers successfully avoided involving Kyle Kuzma in the trade. Instead, the deal includes three first-round picks — including the No. 4 overall selection in next week’s draft.

As for the Pelicans, they receive a load of young talent, though it’s worth pointing out Ball and Ingram have had their share of injury problems over their first couple seasons in the league.

Injury past aside, new Pelicans Executive Vice President David Griffin managed to bring in an incredible haul, and his club is positioned to improve significantly now that New Orleans has two top-5 picks. Well, at least for the moment:

Teams are already expressing significant interest in the No. 4 overall pick belonging now to the Pelicans, league sources tell ESPN. Talks are expected to continue over the next few days. This deal could get even bigger for the Pelicans.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds that teams are already lining up to talk about the No. 4 pick the Pelicans are getting from the Lakers, as you might have expected.

It’s possible the Bulls could be one of those teams. With Ball and Jrue Holiday on the roster, the Pelicans could seek to move that pick to a team hungry to move up to a position to draft a point guard such as Darius Garland or Coby White. Maybe that’s the Bulls. Or maybe the Pelicans look to spin off Ball, in which case those rumors may not be going away just yet.

Of course, even without a trade, the deal could impact the Bulls: it’s possible that the Pelicans could choose the highest-rated wing on the board (think Cam Reddish or Jarrett Culver), which could allow Garland or White to fall to the Bulls at No. 7.

In any case, we may not be done seeing the Pelicans in trade talks before draft night on June 20th and I wouldn’t consider the Bulls out of this whole thing when it’s said and done.

This trade is a game-changer for the teams involved and has league-wide implications, and the ramifications are being felt in the wagering community:

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